High fidelity sorting of remarkably similar components via metal-mediated assembly

Subtle differences in ligand coordination angle and rigidity lead to high fidelity sorting between individual components displaying identical coordination motifs upon metal-mediated self-assembly. Narcissistic self-sorting can be achieved between highly similar ligands that vary minimally in rigidity and internal coordination angle upon combination with Fe(ii) ions and 2-formylpyridine. Selective, sequential cage formation can be precisely controlled in a single flask from a mix of three different core ligands (and 33 total components) differing only in the hybridization of one group that is uninvolved in the metal coordination process.